Poster Award for an Interprofessional Care Model for People with Complex Disabilities

At this year’s congress of the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (IADH), held August 19–22 in Dublin, the working group led by Senior Physician Dr. med. dent. Gisela Goedicke-Padligur was awarded the poster prize in the “Non-clinical research” category.

The award-winning poster was titled “Interprofessional Oral Consultation – A Collaborative Concept of Dentistry and Speech Therapy for People with Complex Disabilities.” The poster focused on interprofessional collaboration between dentistry and speech therapy and presented the care concept of the Witten Oral Consultation Clinic based on the Castillo Morales® method.

The IADH is an international association dedicated to improving the oral health of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. It brings together professionals from dentistry, medicine, nursing, science, and disability services; promotes international exchange; and supports research, continuing education, and inclusive care models.

Since 2019, the Oral Health Clinic at Witten/Herdecke University has combined dental and speech-language pathology expertise, represented by speech-language pathologist Ute Lehnert. The clinic focuses on people with complex disabilities and provides them with individualized support for difficulties with eating, drinking, and other orofacial functions. Providing advice and guidance to family members and caregivers is also an important part of the program.

“I am very pleased to receive this award. For us, it is above all a recognition of our interprofessional collaboration.”